What We Are Now Book One: The Journey
by Brandon M. Stories
Summary: Carter is just a normal teen, has a small group of friends and worries about grades, but when a virus that turns the dead back to life ravages throughout the planet, Carter and his friends are thrown into a newly chaotic world with danger around every corner.. Will they have what it takes to survive? Find out in the What We Are Now series...
1. Chapter 1

It started out like every other school day after Christmas break, everyone talked about how much fun they had, how great it was, what presents they got, but today would also be the day my entire life would change.

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" My alarm clock blared in my ears, screaming for me to get up. In annoyance I reached over and shut it off, then checked the time "6:34 A.M." it read.

"Ugh, alright time to get up bud." I sleepily muttered to my dachshund that was laying on top of my stomach, rubbing my eyes I slowly sat up forcing the fat dog to roll off my belly and onto the bed mattress. In response, the pup just wagged his tail and waddled over to my face which he then proceeded to lick.

"Alright, alright I'm getting up ok? Gosh, dang just calm down." I then got up and got dressed in cargo shorts, and a black t-shirt that had dark red lettering that said: "When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in life's eyes and ask for chocolate." As I finished up getting dressed by putting on sneakers, I then brushed my teeth and left my hair crazy like I always did.

Walking into the kitchen I fixed a bowl of cereal before snatching the note my parents left me on the fridge a couple days ago and read over it again. "Had to take your sisters to Dallas for their doctor's appointments early this year, but since traffic is awful these days with that bug going around like a plague, we might be stuck here for a few days. Please take care of your dog's and nobody is allowed over! Love mom and dad."

After I finished eating my cereal I looked down at Mojo, my dachshund, and playfully exclaimed "Are you hungry? I bet you are huh? Well after I feed you and your brothers I gotta go catch the bus." I then walked outside to collect the dog's food bowls, the cool January breeze put a smile on my face, then I grabbed the two food bowls and took them back inside, filled them with food and brought them back outside before calling out "Elmo, Chance come get your food." They trotted out from a corner and began eating their food.

Once I grabbed my backpack and locked the house, I started to walk towards the bus stop before I noticed my neighbor, Mr. Thompson, his red hair disheveled and he had big bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days, he was also coughing which he seemed to always be doing, I waved at him and he waved back, then I took off down the road and towards the bus stop. Surprisingly she was already there so I was able to get on right away, as I entered the bus driver looked at me fearfully tightening her face mask, I smiled awkwardly at her and proceeded to the place I always sat, I saw five other people on board three of them were younger kids and they were jamming out to Pandora at the front of the bus, two were older looking kids that had face masks on as well and they sat at the very back of the bus.

I took my seat on the left side in the middle of the bus as we proceeded to the next stop, at that moment three other kids got on two of them coughing which made the bus driver quietly squeal before scooting all the way to the window of her driver's seat, then my friend Clay got on and took a seat next to me, he was kinda short, his brown hair neatly brushed, his dark brown eyes lit up with worry as he looked around.

"Dude, did you see the news last night?" He asked, obviously concerned.

"Good morning to you too," I chuckled "and no why?"

"It's crazy man, so many countries are in chaos right now, more than half the world's governments have fallen. All because of that strange bug going around, the Tantoa Virus, it's spreading like wildfire man and it got to the president yesterday, some states have been hit so hard that they've declared martial law, and some the smaller states have gone completely dark.. it's insane.."

Slowly my smile faded away "that doesn't sound too good," I shook my head and continued "but maybe we'll all be fine, I mean it's not like this is the first disease that's tried to wipe out the world. I'm sure this will all be cleaned up in a few weeks or so."

Clay nodded and we remained silent for the rest of the trip. As we arrived at the high school, the first thing that caught my attention was the parking lot; it was usually full of cars, but today it was nearly empty only 20 or so cars were scattered throughout the lot. I guess Clay noticed too as he muttered: "is there really that many people sick?" I just shook my head in disbelief.

We then walked in through the glass double doors of the tall red bricked school and headed straight for the band hall, our favorite place to hang out. As we got the there, Clay and I were greeted by the rest of our friends, we had our "leader" of the group her name was Laurie, she was a good 5'7 when it came to height, her wavy brown hair was always behind her shoulders, and her hazel eyes looked as if she held the secrets to the universe.

Next we had the religious person of our group, her name was Claire and she happened to be someone I cared about very much, her height of 5'6 matched her perfectly, her beautiful brown eyes reminded of the center of a milky way bar, and her curly reddish-brown hair flowed down past her shoulders like a waterfall.

Then there was Lisa, she was an "I'm everyone's friend" kind of person, she was a short happy Mexican, with soft brown eyes, but they were also intelligent like a bear's and long curly black hair.

The "jokester" of the group, also one of my closest pals, Mike. He was also pretty short, like 5'5, and he had dirty blonde hair that he was constantly messing with. His deep crystal blue eyes made it seem as if he was always hiding something.

His girlfriend, Mel, was no different, she had the same height although we consider her the "short one" of the group, she has short blonde hair and has eyes like Mike's, except hers, were darker.

Liah the "drama queen" of the group was about 5'6, and she was a little chubby but that didn't keep her from doing all the sports she wanted, she looked half Mexican but was actually part Irish she had dark cherry red hair, that flowed down past her shoulders almost to her waist, her bright green eyes made her look like a tall leprechaun.

Then there was the "counselor" of the group, Lacy, she had long brown hair and dark brown eyes. And lastly we had the "genius" and that was Kale, he had the typical features an African-American, short curly black hair and dark brown eyes. Then, after, we said our "hellos" we talked about our Christmas breaks until we were suddenly interrupted by the bell ten minutes later that signaled the first period and we went our separate ways...

My first class was P.E, I walked into the large spacious gym and saw Coach Jackson, although he preferred to be called just Blake or Coach Blake, was shooting basketballs like he normally did in the mornings.

"Hey, coach." I called out to him, before setting my stuff down and jogging over to him, he turned around to face me tucking the basketball securely under his right arm

"Hey Carter, how's it goin man?" Wiping his face of sweat, his black gym shorts and t-shirt also appeared drenched in sweat, his ocean blue eyes appeared tired, and his brown hair was hidden behind a black and white cap that had Angel wings on the front above the bill

"Eh not too bad I guess, what about you?"

He scratched his scraggly goatee before replying "same I think."

I nodded and then asked, "Did you see the news?"

His face becomes masked in concern and grim "yea... it's crazy isn't it, not to mention most of the bodies just disappear, and some sick people appear to have human bite marks on them, it just doesn't make any sense." Before I could reply, however, three other students walked in and coach smiled widely and exclaimed "how about a game of around the world." I nodded and we played for the next 36 minutes...

The next six classes zipped by since we didn't do anything due to sick teachers, and after seventh period I made my way back to the band hall for our 45 minute break period also known as lunch, as I walked in my friends all waved over to me and I strolled over to the corner they were sitting in, and took a seat in between Claire and Clay and Lisa passed out cards so we could play a game of Go Fish, after a minute my curiosity took over and I blurted out 'have y'all noticed how many people are sick?"

Laurie nodded and muttered sadly " Yea.. my first five classes only had six people in them, it's crazy." Everyone else just nodded in agreement and just as we were about to start the game the announcements clicked on and principal Brown fearfully alerted "Attention, this is not a drill we are now under a high-level lock down all students get to a classroom immediately, I repeat this is not a drill." Panicking we all stood up and looked around, we heard the cafeteria explode into chaos as students ran through the halls looking for a place to hide, a few of our classmates ran into the band hall, Mike and I then ran and shut the doors before locking them, and sprinted behind a cluster of chairs.

Soon the hallways settled down and it got real quiet, before we heard shuffling footsteps, then a slight knocking on the band hall doors, carefully I peeked out and looked at the narrow door windows, I was only able to see the silhouette of the man as banged his hands clumsily on the door growling, which then caused a girl I didn't know to utter a small shriek which was followed by a stern "Shhh" by one of her friends. After 30 minutes the man finally left and another 14 minutes after that we heard the jingling of keys as principal Brown opened the band hall doors his balding head made him appear older than he was, his eyes full of worry as he nodded letting us know it was safe to come out.

We followed him out into the cafeteria where the students, and staff, had congregated to. Principal Brown then quieted down the confused and scared group of people before announcing "due to the lockdown, school will be letting out early today, however, buses will run at the usual times, but tomorrow we will continue school normally." Little did any of us know, that was the last normal thing that would ever happen to us again..


	2. Chapter 2

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"WARNING: this chapter contains violent content and very gruesome details, if you're not into that sorta thing then this story probably isn't for you, enjoy!/p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Walking into my house, I plopped onto my soft brown couch and grabbed the house phone off the coffee table before dialing my mom's number. It rang for a couple minutes before I heard my mom's soft voice "hello?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Hey mom, I was just calling to see how things were in the city." She sighed, and I could hear what must've been my little sisters laughing, my dad coughing and sirens in the distance./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Confused I inquired "well that's.. odd, why'd he bite him?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""I don't know," my mom explained calming down a little "your dad shoved him away and the man just growled and tried to bite him again, so we ran to the car and left, we're at the hotel now.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Strange.." I whispered/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Anyway I have to go, your dad isn't doing to good, I think he might have the flu.." she muttered not sounding very convincing "I'm hoping it's not whatever this bug is that's been going around.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Yea.. ok well take care mom, I love you." I said emphasizing the "you"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"My mom chuckled "I love you too bud, stay safe and no parties please, I'll call you tomorrow."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Now it was my turn to chuckle as I exclaimed "alright bye.." After hanging up, I decided to turn on the news, there was a lady standing in Los Angeles, I think, " This is Diane Lewis, reporting live from L.A. California. The street behind me, if you couldn't already tell, is going crazy," she muttered nervously pointing behind her, smoke was in the distance along with screams " the LAPD, Los Angeles Police Department, is trying to control an angry mob after shooting a man they claimed to be dangerous in the head, it appears that the virus is... wait, what?" She got wide eyed as the man behind the camera said something inaudible, "uh I'm being told that we need to leave now, we're uh... being evacuated to a safe zone right now." She got cut off by screams and what sounded like gunshots, then something exploded not too far in the distance, causing Diane to scream "Oh my god! Did you see that? Did you fucking see that? What the hell is going on? What..what is that?" She pointed to something large moving in the distance but before I could see anything else the screen turned blue and an amber alert type sound went off before a man calmly stated/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""This is a national emergency.. the president and vice president is dead, most states have fallen into total anarchy, some have been put under strict martial law, as of today there has been 286 million deaths in the United States of America, and over 2 billion deaths worldwide due to the Tantoa Virus, since the original outbreak in Greenland eight months ago," the man continued "though people who catch the virus die, there is a small chance of being immune, statistics show that one in every four hundred people are immune however this has not led to a cure. CDC has advised the use of bottled water and face masks to try and prevent further spread of the plague, the government also encouraged avoiding all contact with infected individuals as the infected are known to get violent and attack others, eyewitness reports claim that the dead are rising and feasting on the living... what's left of the government is making this announcement to confirm those reports, the dead are among us so we adv-"/p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"As I walked down the nearly empty street, I saw some people packing things into a car, they all wore face masks and watched me intently.. studying my every move, probably wondering if I was infected, but a majority of them were the ones coughing so I stayed clear and walked on the opposite side of the road. Finally I turned down the street that led to the high school, as I walked towards the school I started to notice doors that were boarded up and had red "x's" painted on them along with a message that read "Infected bodies inside, lost to Tantoa" but what really creeped me out was the growls and banging on the other side of the door../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"As I continued down the street, it got even eerier as the noises all died down until I heard one noise that caused me to stop dead in my tracks. The sound was that of something eating something else, turning toward the noise I gulped and my insides filled with fear as I stared at the kneeling man before me; he was sitting there.. eating a little dog, just scooping the poor thing's guts out like it was soup or something the sight made me sick, I felt my stomach start to churn as I bent over in the grass and heaved out my stomach's contents, wiping my mouth I turned around only to see the man had stood up and was walking towards me, his mouth covered with blood, his yellow bloodshot eyes, staring me down unblinking with a starved look in his eyes, slowly I backed up raising my arms defensively, the man growled in response and raised his arms towards me, at that moment I just ran, my heart pounding as fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins, edging me to make it to the school./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Blake scrunched his brow in confusion "didn't you see the news last night?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""No... yes.. I don't know I saw part of it but then the power went out."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""School is over," He briefly explained, "the military is coming to evacuate us to some place called Lincolnshire." I felt my jaw drop, but before I could say anything I heard a little boy call out "Daddy."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"At the sound of the kid, Blake turned around and a little boy, he couldn't be more than eight years old, hugged coach Blake's leg. In response, he picked the little boy up and introduced him "Carter, this my youngest child, Tim."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I smiled at him "hey little man, I'm Carter." Tim smiled and waved shyly, our smiles were cut short however when a scream filled the hallways and then a girl cried out "HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE!" Blake had Tim run to the gym, and then Blake walked up beside me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, a crowd of people soon piled around us staring down the hallway./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Those are infected." Blake mumbled fearfully, suddenly I heard the sound of glass breaking and the cafeteria went up in screams, followed by growling that only intensified as the infected made their way inside, Blake's face lost color as fear took over, he then grabbed me and started pulling me along with the crowd of people. Though because of the large crowd, Blake and I had to move at a slow pace I looked around in fear watching people get picked off one by one. I looked to my left just to see one lunge at me, only to end up grabbing a girl that got in the way, the thing ripped her stomach open spilling her insides onto the ground, her screams turned to gurgles as she choked on her own blood as another infected ripped her throat out. I just continued moving as screams filled the air, men, women, and children were being torn apart and eaten alive, but I stopped moving when I saw a little boy get lifted into the air by one of those monsters, he screamed for his mommy before getting his throat ripped out, his body went rigid as more infected joined the feast./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Time seemed to slow down, the screaming faded to ringing in my ears, Blake noticed I had stopped moving and I could tell he was yelling something at me, but the only sound I could hear was my own heartbeat which was faint and slow, I looked around and saw a girl get her stomach ripped open as the grotesque monsters shoved her guts into their putrid mouths./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"A slap brought me back, I turned and was face to face with Blake, somehow I was in the gym my friends all staring at me concerned as Blake spoke to me./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Carter! Carter. Are you with me bud?" His hands were on my shoulders and I just nodded, feeling the color return to my face, Blake then continued./p  
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p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Looking around I noticed that everyone was standing away from the windows, and the doors had been barricaded with basketball carts and a couple of foldable tables. I got closer to the window staring out at the faces of people I once knew, I saw Annie, one of my childhood friends, staring at me with hunger in her pale yellow eyes, then I saw Mr. Thompson but a loud BANG went off and he crumpled to the floor dark blood splattered onto the window, then multiple shots rang off and I was tackled, by Blake, to the ground as bullets started flying some of them flew through the window causing more panic../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"After around ten minutes the bullets stopped, and the doors opened as a burly man walked in and announced/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Citizens of Merkel, my name is colonel Brady and we are here to rescue you." Everyone started whispering amongst each other before a man stepped out of the crowd./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Are you.. are we going to Lincolnshire now?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Colonel Brady gave off a shady smile and replied "all in good time, but first, we have more pressing matters to deal with."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" /p 


	3. Chapter 3

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0aaaca2beb0c3305539d230a9952d00a""Alright everyone, line up." Colonel Brady ordered just two minutes after telling us why they were here, two minutes after killing those sick people outside. I stood at the end of the line, Blake and his family stood to the left of me./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c5ff51195416a81149b096259d476958""Do not worry we are not going to shoot you." The colonel voiced my thoughts "we are only here to help in every way we can, first things first we must separate the sick and extremely injured to be transferred to a medical bay we set up on the highway 10 minutes outside of Abilene."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b45e7db26b00274a04016cfba645cde9"Soon everyone that was coughing or had some sort of bite wound were lined up at the other end of the gym before being ushered away by some military personnel, the sick and injured people were moved onto a bus and driven away. We never saw them again./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2c280ff21f9ddcaae87d9e6ddf2a4976""Now, let's get this place locked up safe and sound shall we?" Colonel asked with a measly, forced smile./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0753f304c52049b226e404c3765009d9"~Time skip~/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="58ce627dc9d41ba6419af0dcfdd22e67"Two weeks later, the military had set up tall 13 foot long gates at both street entrances leading to the school, the back side of the school was completely blocked off and the side where the football practice field was, was also fenced off. The doors at the front of the school had been removed for easy entry, and the tables in the cafeteria were used to block off the side door in the gym, and the back school exits, tents took place where the tables once were. There were two sentry towers set up at the entrance to the front gate, and six soldiers went on supply runs every now and then, but not all of them made it back.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="54e92216106cd7da6becf0320186674c"I was eating soup that one of the colonel's men, Lieutenant Barnes had found for everyone the other day, though there are 48 of us living here including the soldiers, so not everyone got to eat. As I ate silently in my tent, Blake walked in, making me feel bad eating because he was one of the ones who didn't get to./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="df9e79089819e9954a0fd179c4aec53c""Hey, Carter you have a sec?" He asked, putting my bowl down I rose to my feet, "look I know you're still a little shaken up after what you witnessed, and I completely understand I do, it was horrible. But if you want to, I'd appreciate it if you met my family. Considering I kinda think of you as part my family." At first, I was smiling, but then it disappeared as I thought back to my family, I hadn't heard from them since the day I called my mom, they were probably worried sick about me. I sniffled a little and wiped a stray tear from thinking about how scared they must be. They could all be perfectly fine, or they could be dead and the worst part was that I might never know./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c51bb954ff6f240946cf5e3db85ff4fc""Aw man, I'm so sorry, I forgot you're family is.. is in Dallas right now, but I'm sure they're ok, this will get cleared up after a few weeks and you'll see them again I'm sure." Blake whispered, after realizing he mentioned a still touchy subject. Slowly I nodded and followed him over to his tent, people were hustling around everywhere, the cafeteria buzzing with chatter, as I walked I noticed his family clearly for the first time since setting up a base./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6b0c2f13526948e2d7ba3dea2f66ced5"His wife was a pretty blonde, her blue eyes sparkled with resonating happiness her sunny dress making her seem like one of those people who cared a little too much about their appearance. His son that I knew, Tim, was a timid, brown haired child that had his father's eyes making him look like a miniature Blake he even wore the same outfit Blake did, black gym shorts and a plain red t-shirt. A little girl that sat on the other end of the tent, had jeans and a purple shirt with a big yellow flower on it, she was also a replica of her dad, dark blue eyes, and light brown hair that flowed past her shoulders. Blake's oldest looking child had on jeans and a ragged, dirty, blue t-shirt, he was a replica of both his mom and dad, having dirty blonde hair and blue eyes that looked both dark and light at the same time./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0a800a109ce1a5fe15b5e9fc8de7d328""Karen this is Carter." Blake introduced me to his wife./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ac720f11579800615782c992f88c5b56""Hi, Carter, it's so nice to meet you." She beamed a hearty smile me./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="97f28e6b97f436ca14d2575771d939e2""It's nice to meet you as well Karen." I nodded slightly as I shook her hand./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4205aca6e84780204a84f8f6f5260815""This is Tim, Tammy, and Sam." Blake finished off, all three kids shyly waved and muttered "hi" Blake rolled his eyes smiling. He then led me back outside and explained "that was slightly awkward, but as you spend more time around them they'll get used to you I'm sure." His lips curved into a smirk, making me realize that his once small goatee was starting to form into a full on beard. The thought of an apish looking Blake caused me to laugh uncontrollably, which startled Blake and he gave me a questioning look before inquiring "are you ok? You're not usually one to laugh like this."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a68497ec56e6d504689197dd9504eb02"Clutching my sides I answered, "yea, I just imagined you as a miniature Bigfoot." I laughed some more at the astonished, yet jokingly hurtful look Blake gave me./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="60dbf45abea5fff6c71b847615821d75""Why I am no mere Bigfoot," he started while stroking his beard as if in deep thought "I am-" before he could continue the booming voice of colonel Brady cut him off./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0fddab9e8e633463a46f0c22f1b83386""Everyone listen up, due to the lack of supplies a supply run will have to be made soon." He announced, causing slight confusion as this was the first time he announced a supply run. "Due to the small number of soldiers we have taken it upon ourselves to choose four individuals to go on this run." After saying this, everyone started throwing out questions to the colonel./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b58e156d6d1644d92a8beefda453b6cf""Well, who the hell is goin?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1d00ee58ac10ac8bc59bf10c6c7ee020""How the fuck did you decide to choose?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="35e04a04671217dbcd832ffdf52706f2""Why can't the soldiers just go?" Everyone had a different question but those three were the ones asked the most, and though the crowd mumbled hysterically the colonel shushed them all with a quick, threatening glare./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c9fec0b8ee210c2046b7e661e4181f6c""Everyone calm down," the colonel explained " four civilians have already been chosen and they will have two of my finest soldiers go with them, we chose by deciding who was most expendable and who was not." This last remark caused some questioning glares and raised brows "the soldiers can't go because there's simply not enough to defend us here, we need the soldiers here to protect everyone."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0be2fcd4d05ce69d918f7c3b5442ffe2""Well, which of us it then? Who are the unlucky four?" A man called out, obviously angered/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2b042b0e0457b89000d7a7afc26416f3""The four going," colonel Brady listed "will be Adeline... Liah... Patrick... and Carter.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="12912a2d762c2de5cb0102ddfdac5f04"The crowd suddenly turned berserk as people screamed out "what the fuck, they're just kids!"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c9de0b60290052b147d68acdbc915b60""Why the fuck didn't you choose an adult?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cb50a632b45871945e35e96e96d93227""What the hell is wrong with you?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d7f69e9b4a737b489475639376e20a1f"My heart had dropped at the sound of my name, but the way the colonel smiled and answered caused me to question his sanity.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ff2d11dc4cb11890384ea953f6c2ef35""We chose these four young adults, because we have deemed them the weakest, and most vulnerable, we didn't choose adults because they're too valuable here. Besides if they die, that's more food for the rest of you no?" He said with a contempt look in his grey eyes "look, they're going because we deemed them able to, ask yourselves would you rather it be their lives or yours?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b178ee8d680e03a16d09fd7fc00067e7"I gulped as the crowd stopped chattering, everyone knew they'd rather have someone else risk their life, I felt the color drain from my face as I thought to myself./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c760f86b77bed94086a73d0c1bcb488c"' I'm not weak.. am I?' Then I thought back to when the attack happened and how I froze up, images of the people being torn apart, the boy calling out for his mommy, flooded my mind and all I could hear were their screams 'Maybe I am weak now.. but I can change, I WILL change, I won't become frozen like that again, I am going to prove to them that I'm not weak.' Scowling I erased the images from my mind and focused on colonel Brady's next announcement/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c2105e12d3e2e114864288bd2eeff29e""If you're name was called, come to the front office and I will brief you on what to look for, what precautions to take, and some rules." Colonel Brady finished./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9c79706fdfddd85e23f932ff303269dc"I saw Liah, the color seemed to have left her face as well, another girl that I assumed to be Adeline, and a timid looking boy that I guessed was Patrick. I followed up behind them into the office and we all sat down as the colonel briefly explained "You are to visit the general store, as we are currently mainly low on food and water, grab whatever else you think is necessary; flashlights, clothes, anything you think is useful, now go on and prepare, you leave at dusk tomorrow."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b2516f652e16f67a9d2a9fc6efa5d02c"We all nodded and left the room, I was barely able to register what he said when I felt a hand tug on my shoulder I turned around half expecting, and half hoping to see Blake, but was instead greeted by my uncle John and my little cousin Jake, John was kinda short and had short black hair along with hazel eyes, Jake was almost an exact replica except with brown hair and hazel eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b4b0b18965a9a17b03b3ad74ccc08507""Hey Carter, I am so sorry you have to go on that run, it's ridiculous, I was on my way to talk to colonel Brady about it maybe I can con-" I cut him off/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="951aad47b983526a36d8bc3d64b38377""No, I have to do this.." I muttered, John shook his head "No you don't.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="742f0b253106c6b385dda5c79d9f10f9""Yes I do, I have to do it for myself and prove to them that I'm not weak, I can and will do this." John looked slightly hurt, taken aback by my outburst but in the end, he nodded, turned and then walked away. I felt kind of bad for yelling at him when he was just trying to protect me. Shaking off the feeling I then left to return to my tent, when I heard a knocking, well more of a light tapping sound, at the opening of my tent flap, sighing I muttered "Come in." The tent flap pulled back and Blake entered./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f9cf0011a7b1c82abb8f16120a3f450b"He wasted no time in saying "let me go instead."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3c1236c8ed378ff086bcb7ca8c2dbc11"I shook my head "No"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7ee1a56ede0bfb3fffe2c825c86df322""Carter I didn't come to argue, I just don't think you should go out there, it's not safe." He said, a look of determination drawn on his face./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6aabb2bb4820db084b9aee1349953771""Blake, no, I'm going to do this.. not because I want to, but because I have to, besides you have a family to look after, they need you not me, nobody here needs me." I stated./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="edd52a69f6f37bf88bef7e5bc31562b9""But Carter, I need you, your friends need you, I'd bet anything your cousin needs you, besides what if you freeze again and I'm not there to help you.." he questioned./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="69909b652f5d2e4fe10ab5ca78b23d64"Scowling at him I angrily responded "that's exactly why I'm goin, I'm weak, yes I know, and I'm scared and will be scared, but I am going to prove that I can be strong. I'm not going to freeze up ever again because it could put you or someone else in danger and I don't want that.. besides I can handle myself.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="274dec6d0b5e5093757837f98b5028dc"With a hurt look on his face, Blake nodded, submitting to defeat. Great.. that's two people just trying to protect me that I hurt today. As he turned to leave he pulled out a pocket knife and held it toward me, "be safe.. please." I took the knife warily from him, he didn't look at me the whole time and then I felt it. Fear. In all its evil glory, fear took over, causing me to obtain a rapid heartbeat as I realized this was real. I was going outside the safety of the gates tomorrow into a town that was once known to me, but now it would be unfamiliar, I wouldn't see people walking down the streets, I wouldn't hear the bustle of cars racing to get to the interstate, I wouldn't see pedestrians playing at the park, I wouldn't see that one lady who always walked her dogs in the afternoon. I had no idea what I'd see, but I knew that no matter what it was I saw.. I was not going to like it.../p 


	4. Chapter 4

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"There was no sleeping for me that night, the thought of everything that could possibly go wrong on the supply run was more than enough to keep me awake. So I just laid there, studying the pocket knife Blake had given me a few hours earlier, the knife was black even the blade itself. The black leather gripped handle was easy to hold, the blade had a silver, serrated edge and curved slightly as it reached the tip, and I couldn't help but wonder how Blake had gotten it. The colonel didn't allow civilians to carry weapons, only the soldiers did, and any weapons that a person had before the military got there was confiscated./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Even though it would be useful without a doubt, it still scared me and I hoped and prayed to God that I wouldn't have to use it, however, I had a feeling I would not be that lucky. Finally, after an hour of scaring myself with my thoughts, I put the knife in my pocket and drifted off to sleep.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"The next morning I woke up to one of the colonel's lieutenants shaking me, informing it was time. Slowly I got up, still groggy, I rubbed my tired eyes before putting my shoes on and leaving my tent. I followed the lieutenant outside and to the front gate where Liah, Patrick, Adeline, and colonel Brady had been waiting./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Upon my arrival the colonel muttered "Ah good, now you all know that you're hitting the general store, if you're not back by one o' clock this afternoon you will all be presumed dead there will be no rescue mission. Only my lieutenants, Sally and Barnes, will carry weapons all you have to do is stay close and do what they say you'll be fine, just avoid the Church of Christ it's where we locked up about 87 percent of the infected population, there's roughly about 2,124 infected in there, so there shouldn't be too many on the streets or in stores or anything."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"The girl named Adeline piped up, "Wait we seriously can't have weapons?" Her brown hair went all the way to her lower back, her milky brown eyes lit with fear, concern, and anger./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Look if we're right you won't have any need for a weapon now will you?" The colonel stated with another of his forced smiles./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Patrick looked to be the most nervous of us all, his slightly tanned hands shaking, his face scrunched up in a worrying look, his short black hair a tangled mop upon his head, his blue eyes looked slightly teary. Liah was strangely calm as if she didn't have a single worry. The colonel then handed all of us a duffel bag, and said "remember the time, pay attention to it."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"And with that he sent us out, nervously I took a step outside the gate, then another before long the others had already passed me and I was behind a little. Glancing over my shoulder every two seconds, glancing left, glancing right, I might as well have been turning in 360-degree circles. All of a sudden, lieutenant Sally was at my side, her blue eyes looking concerned, her short blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, everyone wore jeans and a t-shirt except for the lieutenants, who wore military pants with a dark green shirt that had the word "ARMY" in bold yellow letters./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""You alright?" She asked me softly, her voice painfully reminded me of my mother's./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Yea.. just thinking.." I replied/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"She nodded and continued "if it's about what colonel Brady said yesterday, about you being weak and all, don't take it personally he doesn't mean it, he's just.. under allot of stress you know, what he really meant was that you four were the first ones he noticed that didn't have a family, there are others."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I smiled at her kind words, "yea... I am weak, though.. when the infected attacked.. t..they swarmed us while we were crowded in the halls, my coach and I were one of the people in the middle, but we had to move slowly due to all the people," I let out a shaky breath before continuing "as I looked all around me, people I knew were being torn apart and grabbed, I watched a little boy scream for his mommy as the infected ripped his throat out. I looked to my left and saw one of them lunge at me, I thought that was it, but some girl tried running and got grabbed instead of me they tore into her spilling her insides all over the floor." I was grateful all she did was listen to my tale as keep finished "I froze up.. I was terrified... I was weak.. my coach had to carry me to the gym and I didn't even realize it until he snapped me out of it. All I felt was guilt for not moving on my own, it was like my body had just given up after seeing all of that."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"She nodded and took a breath before giving me her short tale "I was with my husband and my little five-year-old son.. we were in Detroit when the virus got to us, my husband caught it after we barricaded the house, I tried everything I could but the disease took him, then he came back.." she wiped away a tear and continued "and...and my son he." She let out a small sad laugh "he looked at me and smiled and called out to his daddy, I stood up to stop him but..it was too late, my son was taken from me." I had to wipe away a tear of my own, not able to imagine how awful that must've been./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""I'm so sorry." I muttered, but I was sincere about it, I meant it, nobody should have to go through that/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"She nodded and took a shaky breath and said "come on, let's catch up to the others." I nodded and we jogged to catch up with them. I wound up walking next to Adeline, she looked at me, then asked the most random question I had ever heard after everything that's happened./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Did you grow up here?" She asked, her voice laced with curiosity. Taken aback by the random question I stared at her, with my jaw slightly open, dumbfounded./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Uhh yea..yea I did" I answered uneasily, she let out a laugh and went on./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""So, what's it like growing up in a small town?" She asked, with a slight smirk/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Well, it's uh... it's pretty ok I think, you pretty much know everyone and everyone knows you, most people are friendly and some people just prefer to keep to themselves.." I answered before asking a question my own "so uh, why are you asking me these questions?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"She smiled, her pearly whites shone through as she brushed the hair out of her face behind her ear, "well, I grew up in L.A. I was here visiting my grandma, and I was just curious about what it was like, it's definitely different from where I come from, I have no idea who most of the people are, everyone seems to avoid each other, crime happens left and right. It's just so different from this place." I nodded, but we had to cut the conversation as we arrived at the general store./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"There was a couple of cars left in the parking lot, seemingly abandoned, carts littered the lot, the store windows were broken informing us this place might've been looted already./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Alright, I'll enter first, followed by you four and lieutenant Sally will cover the rear. Got it? Good, let's go." The buff, the balding dark blonde haired man entered the store, his handgun out at the ready. Gulping I followed in behind him, the store was in shambles, the cigarette wall behind the counter was devoid of everything some of the shelves throughout the store had been knocked over, the power was out so it was quite dark. I walked to the far right of the store, to where the canned goods were./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I started stuffing canned corn, canned chicken, canned peaches, just about canned everything before moving onto the snack aisle unable to help myself, I quickly ate the last snickers bar, then shoved some chips into my bag, then I heard Patrick let out a small shriek. I sprinted over to him and saw him staring at something on the ground./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""What is it? What happens? You alright?" I bombarded him with questions, which he just ignored staring at the thing on the floor in front of him, I was about to ask when a foul aroma attacked my nose. "Ugh, what the hell is that smell?" I gagged and coughed before taking a step closer and noticing what he saw./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"It was a body, from the looks of it, it used to be a man. The chest cavity had been removed of the contents inside, his left eye was missing, a bite mark on his cheek a bullet hole in his head./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"" oh my God.." I grabbed Patrick's shoulder and started pulling him away, "Come on, let's get back to the others yeah?" He nodded and we met lieutenant Sally at the door, showing her what I had gathered she nodded in approval, before whistling to lieutenant Barnes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""So what has Patrick so shaken up?" Adeline asked, she ad been waiting outside already gathered everything she could from the electronic section./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""There was a body, the man's insides were completely gone and he was missing an eye, a bullet hole in his head. I guess to keep him from coming back, I'm surprised the kid hasn't thrown up." The moment I said that the silence was interrupted by a yacking sound, I looked over at Patrick to see him heaving his stomach onto the ground./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Adeline was about to pipe up before there was a loud BANG, what could only have been a gunshot, emanated from within the store Sally then called out "Barnes? Barnes! Say something." It was silent for a moment before finally/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""I'm here... I'm good." Lieutenant Barnes called back as he stepped out of the store breathing heavily, a look of panic on his face. Sally breathed a sigh of relief and then Barnes continued " I think we should hit up the pharmacy and convenient stores before heading back." Sally looked down at her watch, troubled by the request/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""It's already 12:36, I think we should go back." Sally responded Patrick agreed with her to no one's surprise, "besides we have some more food and water, Carter dug up several bags of chips and just about every canned thing you can think of, Liah gathered two cases if water, each was half full, Adeline found some more flashlights. We have what we came for."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Barnes thought for a moment before stubbornly refusing "look, it won't take long, the pharmacy is bound to have useful items, I was a medic before all this, I can grab the pill and antibiotics our people will undoubtedly need eventually." It took a little bit but eventually lieutenant Sally agreed, and we were trekking onwards toward the pharmacy on the right side of town./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I kept my head down the whole way, the thought of being so close to my previous home too much for me to handle right now, I noticed Liah walk up to me, she had an optimistic smile./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""What're you being all sad for, we found tons of useful stuff." She happily muttered, I just shook my head./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Let's just get this run over with and go home." I said, my voice barely above a whisper, she nodded thankfully understanding I didn't want to talk right this minute.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"After ten minutes of walking, we arrived at the Merkel Drug Store, the same routine as before. As we searched lieutenant Barnes instructed us all to different rooms, I was searching around for protein bars and the like, Adeline was sent to the bathroom products for their... necessities, Barnes and Patrick searched through the medicine behind the counter, although most of everything was looted./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"It almost went as smoothly as last time before a wandering infected made its way into the pharmacy without any of us knowing, I heard the familiar growling as I searched through the shelves of protein and granola bars. Turning around I dropped my bag, as the thing lunged at me knocking us both onto the hard tiled floor, as soon I felt my back hit the floor I started backing away. The infected was not giving up so easily, though, it grabbed onto my foot and tried to bite my ankle I put all the strength I could muster into kicking the things face, it took two tries but finally I threw it off balance and it landed to the side a few inches away. Before I was able to get up, however, the monster had recovered faster than I would've thought possible, it tackled me to the ground again, this time, it's face was mere inches from my own, and I couldn't help but scream./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"The thing's breath smelt of decay, and flesh dangled from its yellowed teeth, its face was barely recognizable as a woman, its clothes were torn and tattered yet I could tell she worked here. Her pale, yellow, bloodshot eyes stared into mine with an unending hunger, snapping its jaws at me, I felt my grip on her shoulders start to give out, but one of the lieutenants reached me first and pulled the thing off me. I looked over to see the infected try to get up, before a gunshot went off causing my ears to ring, the grotesque monster's head jerked back from the impact, sending dark blood all over the shelf behind it and some brain matter landed on my shoe, grimacing from the disgusting smell I got up and looked at my savior, lieutenant Sally, she helped me to my feet./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Are you ok? Did it bite you?" She asked worriedly./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I shook my head and gasped "no" before turning towards the body again, maggots were crawling out of the bullet hole and I couldn't keep it in anymore, I vomited all over the floor to my left, away from the creature and away from Sally, she grimaced as I finished wiping my mouth, a sour taste burning my tongue./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Before I had a chance to say anything else I heard a not so manly scream, from Patrick, who was being attacked by a now infected Barnes. "What the fuck?" I asked extremely confused, Sally must've been confused too, she stood there frozen in shock, Patrick back away from the turned Barnes, and threw open the back door and screamed again, that was the last thing I heard from him as a small crowd of infected barged through and tore into him./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Oh my God." I heard Liah mutter/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Holy shit" Adeline added/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""He...he must've been bitten and didn't tell us.." Lieutenant Sally managed to stutter/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I cringed as the infected ripped open Patrick's face, tearing out his right eye, and cheek, followed by his throat, he fell to the ground and the things went with him, devouring him. We barely had time to register what happened as another infected snuck in the front, probably attracted by the gunshot and screams and grabbed the still frozen Sally from behind, she screamed and let off two gunshots before getting taken down, leaving me Liah and Adeline, both of which were now in the process of crying./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""This way!" I yelled to them, as I ran by Sally I stopped and whispered I'm sorry, before picking up her gun, the infected didn't notice me thankfully as it was still distracted by the squirming girl it was feasting on, and sprinting out the door, followed by Adeline and Liah, and a crowd of infected now finished with their meals. Outside was almost no better than inside, infected now roamed the streets everywhere, at least 20 of them were out here, we ran and ran our duffel bags banging against our sides, the gun causing my arms to get a little tired, we found a small house and ran inside slamming the door shut. Infected banged on the other side aggravated by the most meal./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""Here, help me with this." I ordered and started pushing a large couch against the door, Adeline soon helped me while Liah basically was pulling her hair out in a panic while whispering "what do we do? What do we do? What do we do?" Over and over again./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"All of did was look out the window, every infected that was out there was gathered at the doorstep, I knew we couldn't stay long "do you guys have a weapon of any kind?" I asked, they both shook their head, figures I was the only one to sneak a knife and have possession of a gun, which I just stored into my duffel bag. Liah walked off to a corner crying, and rocking herself back and forth, Adeline went to calm her and I went upstairs to see what was what. There were pictures of a family on the wall, making my heart hurt again but a banging sound disrupted my feelings and caused me to jump./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"It was coming from a door at the end of the hallway, slowly I opened it only to be lunged at by an infected, I slammed myself against the door trying to close it, but it was to no avail, I heard a snap as the infected's arm broke and then with a final lunge at me the door gave way and I was thrown to the ground, the infected a few feet away on the ground too. I had little time to act, as the thing reached for my foot, pulling out Blake's knife I flicked it open and kicked the thing onto its stomach before stabbing it in the back of the head. Breathing heavily I stood back up, the knife sliding out of the infected with sick, suctioning sound./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I opened the room the infected came out of and saw an open window, I had to fight to keep from yelling with triumph, I ran downstairs to inform the others. Just as I got down there the couch moved a little bit with the force pushing against the door, and suddenly all three of us were pressed against it./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""There's a window upstairs we can use to escape." I announced, the two look relieved but still worried/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""But if we leave this door they'll break in and catch up to us before we can get out." Liah whispered./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Thinking to myself I suggested, "Maybe we can outrun them?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Liah shook her head, Adeline didn't know what to do, and then Liah confirmed my creeping thoughts "one of us is going to have to stay behind, while the other two leave.." she muttered sadly "not all of us get to get out.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"I shook my head in denial, tears forming in my eyes "there must be another way, the couch-"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Liah cut me off with a shaking if her head and she whispered "no, I'm staying while you and Adeline go back."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"My heart dropped and I shook my head once more "no... we can't leave you."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;""You don't don't a choice." She whispered/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"After trying to think of another way I reluctantly agreed, along did Adeline, we said our goodbyes to Liah and ran up the stairs, a disturbing thought rested in the back if my mind, and I knew it would haunt me/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Better her than me.../em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"Tears now flowed freely down my face as I followed Adeline out the window, soon there was a breaking sound, followed by screaming then silence.../p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Don't pretend to be sad, you don't get to be sad, you're the one who left her there, you chose this, you could've been the one that stayed but you let your best friend stay instead you know what that makes you? That makes you a monster, no better than the ones that rip open people. Now you're gonna have to learn to live with it, you used her as bait to get away./em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;"My thoughts haunted me the way back, Adeline didn't even try to talk, she looked just as shaken up as I was, wiping away the tears I looked down at my watch "2:34" it read. I looked at Adeline and she nodded, we then broke out into a run, I carried mine and Liah's bag, while Adeline carried hers, as we got there we heard a man call out 'Where are the others?" We shook our heads and the man opened the gate, letting us in. Blake came out of the school closely followed by Tim, and my friends, my uncle John and little cousin Jake, and then I realized why it was so easy to leave Liah. I didn't want to leave these people behind.../p 


	5. Chapter 5

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e0ed1619d394b853202f308f9b843de4"Upon returning to the small safe zone, colonel Brady, Blake, and all my friends came rushing outside to see what happened. Adeline's eyes were red and puffy from crying the whole way back, and I didn't blame her. We were the only two survivors out if six people, but why? Because we both decided to let Liah sacrifice her own life so we could escape, what she did was noble, and brave. Though I knew deep down that I should've stayed./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6cf36fcdd071abe82eae01b0f208854b""What happened out there?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0b0db8a44f6bded326da83da3d1d5efe""Where's lieutenant Sally and Barnes?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1bbf5fff48394e802e865ee73ce15abd""What happened to Patrick and Liah?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f0a9d2980a2e5da6ec09ee829b12d67b"Though they were all still a little ways away, I could already hear their questions and I honestly didn't want to answer them, but I knew I had to. I was going to before my thoughts broke me down./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="792d943c13684b010a34e2fb4572ff74"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"'You're pathetic. You're weak. Your family is dead. Your friends aren't going to care about you once you tell them you left one of them behind. You're uncle and cousin will disown you. Blake will hate you. You're a monster, no better than the infected outside. You should've stayed behind, not Liah did she really deserve that? Was it really better her than you?'/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1dcde20ddc9ef039224c88641e07eea4"I fell to the ground, collapsing to my knees, dropping the bags I was carrying. Sobbing, I screamed "shut up! Leave me alone. Please be quiet." Blake was the first to reach me, getting on his knees as well, trying calming me down./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="59773d6d9eabf02e5bd40d5a7b7c2d2d""Carter, calm down its ok, I promise. We just want to know where the others are. Did they fall behind? Did they send you two back?" He asked in a soothing voice, his blue eyes, sad yet comforting./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8403ad1202a0766a043bc05edf653a7e"I just shook my head "they're dead. Lieutenant Sally. Lieutenant Barnes. Patrick. L..Liah. none of them are going to come back, not to here anyways." I wiped my eyes and continued "Barnes got bit, in the general store and didn't tell us, then we went to the pharmacy. Barnes came back and tried to kill Patrick, he ran out back only to open the door to at least 30 infected, he went down. As we all stared in shock, an infected snuck up on Sally, attracted by all the gunshots and the screams. I grabbed her gun and put in my bag, and Liah, Adeline and I ran onto the streets, only to see 20 more infected spread all around us. So we ran into a nearby house, the infected trapped us in and I looked for a way out, I went upstairs and ran into another infected in a room, I killed it and found a window in the room it was in. I went back to tell the other two when the infected started breaking down the door, we all three piled up to try and hold them off, but we all knew someone had to stay behind." I sighed before taking a shaky breath "so Liah chose to stay." All of a sudden I couldn't keep it in anymore, I broke down into tears again. Blake embraced me and I wept into his shoulder./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a4780955f0f6db7aa1b666ab203f15f3"Everyone else stood there shocked, colonel Brady was the first to speak up "Blake, take him back to his tent, calm him down, and then send him to me." He ordered, "Adeline, you come with me and we'll have ourselves a little chat alright." He then put a gentle hand on Adeline's shoulder and led her away, the man standing guard at the gate grabbed all three bags and took them inside the school, and Blake helped me to my feet and together with my friends we walked to my tent./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9a7e3911bd9fb95fd8ffa0fe539a2162"After I sat down on my cot, Blake gave my shoulder a consoling pat, Claire stared at me her eyes filled with mixed emotions, Laurie was the first to speak "so..Liah chose to stay behind right? You..you didn't force her?" I looked up at her in shock./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cb1070a61e4d531ecc4c4e40593d9158""No..no of course not, I would never force her to stay behind, she told me and Adeline to go and that there was no other choice." I stammered, my friends nodded and then left leaving Blake and me alone. He looked at me, his eyes full of sympathy and sadness./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="fb20a1f32fd951d4b6376f22e63ecf89""You should've let me go instead." He whispered./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c2bb6ec7f686fdeea5ebc994f59f5918"I shook my head "No, I'm glad I didn't let you go, even though I had to see more people die, it's better than seeing two people walk through those gates without you if you had gone." I responded./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0d2958bef2465bb1cddba55067f97c40""You didn't freeze up?" He asked after I shook my head no he continued "good, and you're not weak, you're strong. You're strong because you know you're weak, you strong because you can look fear in the face and challenge it. You are strong. Now you should go see what colonel asshole wants." He gave me a playful smile, and all I could do was laugh, not once in the time I've known him has Blake ever cussed yet here he was calling our "leader" an asshole. Standing up, Blake gave me a hug and left without another word./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="317aaf80d2e0affdf5863c4eba983cf4"As I entered the office, Adeline left giving me a sad smile, colonel Brady was sitting in the desk where the principal once sat./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="02386d79fcc82e7ef43ea3469de20249""Well, Carter, I'm glad to see you made it in one piece. Please sit." He gestured to the chair in front of the desk, after I took a seat, the colonel began his interrogation "now I want to know exactly what happened, from the minute you got to the general store to your and Adeline's return."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d6b4bbdeb331935980873ae923af2a94"I gulped and began my tale "in the store we were looking for the necessities, I was grabbing canned food, and got some chips, Adeline collected flashlights, Patrick helped me with the food, and Liah got some water. After we were all done, we stopped out of the store and we heard a gunshot, and a minute later Barnes came out of the store telling it was ok, then he suggested we searched the pharmacy because he could pick up some medicine that the group would eventually need. Reluctantly we all agreed to go, and the search was going well until an infected snuck up and attacked me, I held it off and lieutenant Sally shot it in the head when I got up and made sure I was ok, we heard Patrick scream." I took a breath and continued "he was backing away from an infected Barnes, apparently he got but in the general store and don't tell us. Patrick opened the back door to try and escape only to be devoured by a small crowd of them that was waiting on the other side, we were all shocked cause it happened so quickly, then Sally got attacked and went down, I took her gun while the infected that got to her was distracted and Adeline, Liah, and I ran outside and were forced to take shelter in a house because there was around twenty roaming the streets. We shoved a couch against the door, and I looked for a way out which there was a window upstairs that we could get out, though, but I had to kill an infected to get to it." I wiped a tear away, and my voice became shaky as I finished "when I went down to inform the other two, the door cracked and we had to pile ourselves against it to keep the things from getting in, we all knew that someone had to stay behind and Liah was the one who offered.. Adeline and I just left.."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="da314ed8abc81b4e7f93204142a4a2b3"The colonel stared at me for a long minute, then cleared his throat and clarified "the reason I called you in to talk is, not because I care about what happened to the others, but because I still need you to go on runs, Adeline refused, but if you agree I'll be sure to get you extra rations and a better place to sleep, plus I'll give you five new people to scavenge with." I glared at him, his words hurt like a freezing rain./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0e9094e7c3ef22ab61c458508cb1f1cc""Fuck. You." I spat at him " those lieutenants trusted you, Patrick and Liah looked up to you, respected you, and when they die you say you could care less about their lives?" I sighed, and after a minute of thinking I muttered "look, I'll continue to go on runs, but don't give me extra rations and don't give me a better place to sleep, and if I'm going to continue doing runs I have four requests."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="16e5e51be7c31faef0307523723c5482"Colonel Brady, pursed his lips and muttered "What are they?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9150b47059510c2ddf59f33d3630a7e5""I want to do the runs on my own, unless someone volunteers and only one person, I want to not be limited on, or told where to go, until we absolutely need supplies, I want to choose when I leave and when I return and I want a weapon, it doesn't have to be a gun, but I need a weapon and whoever goes with me gets one too. Let me do those and I'll do every run." I demanded./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="3bf0b04d9990d02b82ed9394fff974de"The colonel smiled "this is why I like you, you're unafraid to do something. I'll grant you those requests. But, when you return from the runs the weapons I give you must be returned." I nodded "leave." The colonel waved his hand to the door./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="86f2fe686e431d2740f88ba30153077c"As soon as I left the office and returned to my tent I scolded myself "What the fuck were you thinking?" I sighed and laid back on my cot, wondering if this was a big mistake or not. I didn't get to know though because I drifted off to sleep./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c151eb4702ab0ac12ab1ed2fa19583e5""Carter, wake up bud." I heard Blake anxiously whispering, " I need to talk to ya."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c6901e5d881d0e346ab4c5fe57a0d941"Yawning, I sat up "w..what is it?" I asked, in between yawns. The moment I opened my eyes, I knew I was in trouble, his brown eyes were full of fury and his scowl was no better./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="1fabbaf2548dd220513070e044a39c79""You agreed to continue doing runs if you were alone, or one person volunteered to go with you?" He angrily asked/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="49bfaa06ebf30e7caea15b5d583dbaa6""I don't want anyone else dying, besides I can take care of myself, I'll be fine. I know you're angry but there's no stopping me now." I expected his face to turn red from anger, but instead, he did the unexpected; he smiled "w...why are you smiling? I thought you were angry?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f3b1216bf219f7cdd256bccc71fa8a5f""I am angry, but I'm happy because I may not be able to stop you, but you can't stop me either." He enthusiastically exclaimed before flashing me another smile./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5ee3486a799532706ca4ec628d2f5af6""What do you mean?" I inquired, confused but as I thought I finally realized it "no... you can't go out there with me, it's not safe for you." He scrunched his brow at that remark/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="475797fb010e88f5d3294b48e64ea783""First off I'm supposed to say that to you, second off I'm going to protect you." He clarified./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="59cde7e6a378646af51cb59c716b01f6"I slowly nodded, reluctantly agreeing "well, just so you know, Blake, we go when and where I choose." I explained, my lips twitching as I tried to keep from smiling. I failed. Blake let out a heartfelt laugh before putting a hand to his head in a salute/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="91847b240e5f04b1b121c3c6f9a517ac""Whatever you say, Captain Carter." He muttered in a deep, pathetic attempt at a pirates voice./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0427acc667038fd0f4fa220adc574662"I smirked at him, and he grinned wider, if that was possible, his goatee/beard thing was slowly growing, "well, I think tomorrow would be the perfect time to go on a run, I've got a few stops in mind that'll be interest-" before I could finish, the cafeteria reverberated with gun shots. One shot. Two shots. Three shots. Then screams, and shouts of anger, and fear, but only one shout stuck out among them all./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="35d1ca9017c512bf36421aac96fa5211""Colonel you son of a bitch, you did this you fucking bastard." This was followed by more gunshots and screams and the all too familiar growls.../p 


	6. Chapter 6

"Everyone get to the gym." A man shouted to the panicking crowd, before shooting an infected that got too close. That was the first thing I had noticed: the infected there wasn't as many as when they first showed up at the school, but there was enough to kill us all, then again all it took was one.

"Carter stay close." Blake ordered as we pushed our way through people, I saw Lacy run into the gym while holding a young boy, both of them crying. As we made our way through the crowd I bumped into Laurie she was following an older man, her father I presume, she grabbed my arm

"Carter what are you doing? The infected are all that way, we have to get to the gym." Her voice was shaky with fear, her eyes full of concern.

"I have to help Blake find his family, I'll meet you there." I briefly answered before running over to Blake, he was standing inside his tent when I got to him, his family was nowhere to be seen. "M..maybe they're already in the gym, look there's no blood so they had to have gotten out."

Blake looked at me, his brown eyes held nothing but worry "yea... Yea alright." We left his tent and turned to leave before an infected grabbed a hold of me, tackling me to the ground. I rolled to the right as soon as my back hit the floor, only to be stepped on by fleeing people, I felt a sharp pain in my side as one person tripped over me, their foot slamming into my ribs. The person got up and knelt down beside me.

"Are you alright?" The woman asked, obviously upset. I nodded, but before I could thank her she screamed out in pain, the infected that tackled me had just sunk its teeth into her ankle taking her down before crawling up to her face and biting into it, blood erupted from her nose, then I felt myself get pulled to my feet, and dragged away.

"My family field into the office, I just saw them, come on." Blake stated, determination etched on his face, I looked behind me at where the tents had set up, most everyone was in the gym now the doors were closed and barricaded, tables blocked the broken windows. Some people had failed to get away in time and were now being feasted on, while a majority of the monsters were at the door trying to break in. Blake and I barged into the office, before shutting the doors, Karen, Sam, Tim, and Tammy were all standing in a corner with a few other people.

"Where's colonel Brady?" I whispered, not wanting to alert the infected outside. Karen shook her head become embracing Blake, who kissed her several times, tears flowing down his face. His kids all hugged his legs and waist. I smiled at the reunion, then went to go find Brady and see exactly what happened.

I walked down a hallway, before hearing a banging noise coming from the conference room. Slowly I opened the door, and saw a man holding a beaten colonel Brady at gunpoint "You did this you piece of Shit!" The man yelled.

"N..no I didn't you son of a bitch.. th..this was nobody's fault.. it..it's just what happens." Colonel Brady sputtered. Then he turned his head towards me, making the man spin and point his gun at me, his hands shaking.

"Woah.. calm down," I nervously said, putting my hands in the air, I had never been held at gunpoint before, and it was not a good feeling "just calm down, alright, look I just want to know what happened." The man glared at me angrily.

"What happened?" The man yelled, "this fucking asswipe and his shitbag military men, did this to us. His soldiers are all gone, those who stayed shot three people. Three innocent fucking people, because they were coughing. Just fucking coughing, then the infected took down the gates, killed the remaining soldiers, I took one of their guns and now here we are." I felt my brow scrunch together as I took his words in.

"Colonel... your men shot three people?" I asked, nervous, fearful, curious, and angry all at the same time.

When Brady opened his mouth to answer, the man cut him off " in the head, and those three people," his voice cracked and his eyes teared up, "they were my family.. my wife.. my two boys, your men shot them because of a fucking cough." the man shook his head "fuck you." I flinched when the man pulled the trigger, Brady's head jerked back as if he was just kicked in the face, blood painted the wall behind him, and he slumped to the floor.

I looked over at the man, my eyes wide and head spinning "what did you just do?" I whispered.

The man, looked just as scared, but it left as soon as it came, and was replaced instead with anger "I took care of the problem." Before I could say anything else I heard glass break, followed by growls and then screams, I ran out of the room pulling out my pocket knife. Tim and Tammy hiding behind the front desk crying, Sam and Karen were on the ground being eaten by infected. Blake was screaming and crying out their names while shoving the infected off of them, I ran over and stabbed the one on Sam in the head, while Blake stomped the face of the other one onto the tiled floor.

I stared wide eyed at the horrors before me, Sam was laying there staring at the ceiling, blood pooling around his now open stomach. Karen was shaking, her skin turning pale, she held Blake's face in her hand, he smiled down at her, tears still streaming down his face "I.. I love you." She whimpered. Blake pushed the hair out of her face, and kissed her forehead, "d..don't worry baby, you're gonna be fine, I promise." He took her hand in his and gripped tightly, "we're gonna get you help ok?" His wife gave a weak smile at him, blood gushing out of the bites on her arm and shoulders. Smiling was the last thing Blake saw her do.

 _Bang._ The noise caused me to jump, Karen, now lay motionless, her eyes staring up at Blake's face, her smile now gone, blood rushing freely from the new hole in her head. Blake's mouth was agape, his eyes tearing up, even more, his breath came out shaky. I looked over to where the noise came from to see the man who shot colonel Brady, the gun was pointing at Karen his hand shaking.

"What the fuck did you just do?" I angrily sobbed. The man just shook his head.

"I did what I had to." He answered bluntly, Blake then rose to his feet, his eyes burning with anger, he turned towards the man, his mouth was twitching with fury, he screamed at the man before charging him. The man, let out a small yelp and before I could stop him, he pulled the trigger once more. Blake let out a yelp of pain, before landing on his back, clutching his shoulder. The man just stood there, the gun still aimed at Blake, his hands shaking. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I'm so-" another gunshot went off, and I let out a cry of shock as the man holding the gun dropped to the floor, I looked towards the door and saw one of Brady's men jog over to Blake, and helped Blake to his feet.

"Grab those kids, and let's move, we need to get to the gym." I went over and grabbed Tim and Tammy's hands and we followed the man, he was shooting any infected he could, there seemed to be only eight left.

When we got to the gym he ushered us inside, then he walked outside and began shooting the rest of them, and about five minutes later they were all gone. People in the gym were still panicking, they all wanted to know how this happened, the military men should be stopped them at the gates. They wouldn't have just left us here would they? I have no idea, but I do know that I can't trust anybody I didn't know, because they may be just as bad as the infected, maybe worse...

A couple hours after clearing out all the infected bodies, Blake's shoulder got bandaged up, luckily the bullet went straight through, we gathered up the bodies we knew and buried them. I stood alone, away from everybody as I watched a sobbing mother lower a small body wrapped in a blanket into one hole, we had lost twenty people today. Fifteen of those things killed twenty people, well eighteen people, more tears rolled down my face as Blake, slowly lower both Karen and Sam's bodies into their makeshift graves. After the burials, we all went back inside, except for Blake and his last two kids.

"With Brady and his soldiers gone, it's up to us to run things now. Not just one person is going to be in charge anymore, it's all of us. We all take votes, we will all come together to lead this place." A rough looking man announced, he was an older fellow his balding hair was grey, and his face had several wrinkles, but he seemed respectable enough. Once everyone had agreed, we began fixing the fences, which thankfully only took 30 minutes.

As I walked into the office I grabbed a duffel bag and walked into the counselor's office which Brady had turned into the armory. Browsing through the weapon choices, I picked out a machete, it had a black rubber handle and a sharp, serrated blade that seemed the length of my arm. Looking around some more I found a holster for it, it had a strap so I could put it on my back.

Sliding the machete into its holster I picked up my bag and walked out of the office, before being stopped by a man named Peter, "where do you think you're going?" He muttered, he looked at me with a questioning look in his eyes.

"On a run, where do you think." I answered back, before yanking myself from his grip and hurrying outside. As I approached the gate, a woman nodded at me before opening it and letting me exit the safe zone, I had no idea why I was going on a run, but I knew where I was going, and I knew my purpose for going there.

I walked for five minutes before seeing my destination, I was going to Blake's house, he was in no condition to travel both physically and emotionally, but I knew he would want to grab a family picture. So that's what I was going to do for him. As I stepped up to the house, I pulled out my machete and cautiously opened the door, stepping inside, I looked around for any signs of infected, which thankfully there wasn't. Putting away my weapon I started looking around for his family pictures, there were several photos hanging on a wall, but there wasn't one of them all together which I think he would've wanted.

After a couple minutes of looking around, I finally found a picture frame of him and his family, Blake and Karen were lying on a green, grassy field Sam, Tim, and Tammy were all laying on top of them. They looked so happy, their smiles were wide and looked as if they were laughing. I picked up the picture frame and placed it into my bag, before looking around the kitchen for canned food and bottled water, which I only found a couple bottled waters and no canned goods. After leaving the house I started returning back to the school before stopping and thinking.

 _No, I can't go back yet, there are a couple more things I need to do..._

Chuckling to myself, I headed off to my new destination. As I walked through the empty neighborhood, I looked around, most houses had no cars, the owners having driven them to the school, but one building caught my attention. It was the church, moans and growls emanated from within, the doors were chained and a number was painted on it, "2346 infected." It read, I took one step towards it and bangs suddenly sounded and the growls got louder as the monsters inside heaved themselves against the door, trying to get it open, fearfully I ran down the long empty street the train tracks still several feet away from me. Looking behind me, I finally stopped running when I realized the infected hadn't broken through the doors, I then shook my head and continued my journey, I wanted a picture of my family too and I was going to get it.

Jogging across the tracks, I made my way past the general store where I made my first supply hunt to, I wanted to get to my own house as quick as I could. Finally, my house came into view, but something was definitely off, the gate was open and there was a car I had never seen before in the driveway, and my dogs were nowhere in sight. As I walked through the fence, I pulled out my machete and cautiously approached the house, the door was already open.

Is _someone already inside? If so are they friendly? What if they aren't? What if they try to kill me, and in order to live I have to kill then first? Would I even be able to do it?_

These thoughts swam through my mind, filling me with fear. Shaking it off, I took a step inside, there was blood on the floor along with bloody hand prints on the wall, taking a breath I continued further into the house, following the blood. It led to my parent's room, I could feel the sweat beading my face as nervousness took over, and the moment I reached my parent's door I became more scared than anything. With my machete at the ready, I took a shaky breath and reached towards the doorknob.

Slowly I opened the door, I stopped when it made a creaking noise, moving the door forward inch by inch. Finally, I opened it all the way, blood was all over the floor and there, on my parent's bed, was a man. He was dead, a gun in his left hand while his right hand clutched his stomach, as I walked over to his corpse, I gagged as a rotten aroma invaded my nostrils. Looking around I found the culprit of the smell, it was an infected, luckily it was dead, walking back to the man's corpse, I shakily took the gun from him, and put it in my bag. Then I scavenged around the room, my dad kept a bolt action rifle around here somewhere, along with a pistol, after a couple minutes of searching I found the pistol in a dresser next to the bed, and the rifle was stashed in a corner, finally I found all the ammo he kept for the two guns and threw them in the bag.

Throwing the rifle's strap around my left shoulder, I left my parent's room and walked to my room. It looked exactly how I left it, the bed sheets messed up, blanket on the floor, it was all the same. I smiled sadly at the room before throwing some of my clothes into the bag, then I remembered the car outside and reluctantly I returned to my parent's room and searched the dead man's pockets for the keys, upon finding the keys I smiled with triumph and then left to the kitchen to grab some food and water.

I shoved five things of canned food, along with 15 bottles of water. As I walked into the living room I grabbed a picture of my family off the wall, I was in my mom's lap as she sat on a rock, with a lake behind us, my two sisters and my dad were sitting next to me and my mom, we were all smiling. The picture brought back painful memories as I remembered how it felt to have family around, I wiped away a stray tear that found its way down my cheek. Satisfied with my finds, I then got into the black minivan and made my way back to the school, the sun starting to set, as I drove, another car passed me racing to get out of town that person must've just been passing through.

When I got back to the school, I parked the minivan with all the other vehicles in the parking lot and returned my machete to the armory, along with the rifle and two handguns I found. Then I gave the food and water to the people that cooked up the meals, and finally, I went to find Blake, eager to give him his gift. I found him next to his wife and son's grave, makeshift crosses had been placed while I was gone, he looked up at me as I approached him, his eyes glistening with tears and face full of pain. I knelt down and handed the photo of his family to him, as he looked at it, he choked up a sob before giving me a hug, weeping into my shoulder. I gave his back a pat before breaking down and crying with him, I've never seen Blake so broken before...


	7. Chapter 7

Arguing. Fighting. Complaining. It seems that this is the only thing our group knows now. Two days ago the military left, colonel Brady was shot, and the infected attacked. Since then everyone had been arguing over who was in charge, we all wanted a say when it came down to how this place was going to continue to function, but as always there was at least one person who wanted to be in charge of it all. It's funny how it seems no one knows what to do, when there's no police, military or government around to tell us what to do. This group was once together, this group was once friends, but now this group is divided, broken, and hectic. I wasn't certain if we'd ever agree on one leader, but I was certain that I wanted out.

"Why does Jim get to choose who eats and who doesn't? Why can't the rest of us choose?" Some lady asked hysterically.

"Look, Cathie, why don't you just be happy you're getting to eat today," a man named Parker responded "besides you wouldn't understand how hard it is to choose who eats and who doesn't, and we can't all vote for who does and doesn't cause it'll tear this group apart." The woman shook her head, but looked down with a defeated look before walking away. I scoffed, and left to go find Mike, in these past few days it had dawned on me that I hadn't really spoken to my friends, which was a mistake. After a few minutes I found Mike's tent, him and Mel were sitting on his bed while kissing, which seems to be something they always did nowadays.

"Hey guys." I called out to them, Mike fell backwards off the bed, alerted by my presence.

"Oh, uh, hey Carter." Mike responded, shock etched on his face that I was around. "What's up?"

"Just came to talk to y'all for a bit, Blake and I are heading out in a little bit."

"Ah, where to this time? Pharmacy?" Mel questioned

"No, this time Blake and I are goin to Abilene. We're gonna try and hit the pawnshop, and a few other places." I answered

"Wow. Well be careful, you don't know what's out there." Mike cautioned

"I will, but anyways how have you guys been?"

"Eh, as good as we can be I guess, all this bickering is kinda annoying though." Mel said.

"Yea, I hear ya. Well anyways I should go find Blake so we can get ready to leave." I responded, before leaving them to continue what they were doing before I interrupted. I walked around a little bit before bumping to Claire, literally, she stumbled backwards a couple steps and looked up angrily

"Hey watch where you're goin bozo." She demanded.

"Yes ma'am." I snickered, and she looked up surprise evident on her face as she brushed her brown locks out of her hair.

"Carter. Man I haven't talked to you in awhile."

"Yea I've... I've been busy, you know goin on supply runs with Blake and that sorta thing." I gave her an awkward smile

"I know, so how are you?" She asked, smiling timidly and brushing a piece of hair out of her face and putting behind her ear.

"I'm good. How about you?" I responded

"I'm scared. I don't know what's going to happen next, or what any of us are going to do," She answered nervously, glancing around her shoulder as if scared someone might overhear her "I don't think Jim is a good leader, he's not the smartest person, plus I've heard he sneaks extra rations to Jessica, all because they sleep together. But that can't be true can it?"

I just stared at her, not knowing what to say, she bowed her head and closed her eyes "I miss my family Carter." When she looked at me again tears had starting making their way down her face.

"Me too." I whispered, she looked at me sadly, then I pulled her into an embrace. After a minute she pulled away and gave me a heavy smile

"I gotta go, Laurie was looking for me earlier, and Blake is in the office waiting for you." She said timidly, I nodded and started making my way towards the office. As I approached the office, I watched Blake for a moment as he stood with his back against the wall. His hair was more disheveled than before, his goatee had started growing, causing stubble to grow over the rest of his face. His blue eyes were blanketed by sadness. Slowly I opened the door to the office not taking my eyes off Blake the whole time, upon noticing I had entered the room, Blake looked up from the knife in his hand.

"Oh hey, Carter, you ready?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes glazed over with grief. I nodded in response, then I grabbed the machete I had grown accustomed to, Blake then handed me a duffel bag before picking up a claw hammer on his way out of the armory. "let's go." he muttered as he led me outside and towards a black minivan, we threw our bags in the back and I hopped up front. He started the vehicle and stared at the now open gate in front of him.

"Are you alright?" I asked, "you know you don't have to come with me, I can take care of myself"

"No, no I can do this." He responded, then he started driving. As we drove down the road leading out of Merkel, we passed many abandoned cars, drove by some other survivors and saw a couple of the infected stumbling around, but as scary as that was it wasn't as bad as the piles of burned and burning corpses. We must've passed at least five piles with ten or more bodies in.

"My God, would you look at this place," Blake whispered, "remember a few weeks ago when people would drive to Abilene for groceries or to see their cousins. Now it's..." he trailed off

"Horrible," I finished "all of it, this whole thing it's just awful. But it'll end won't it? Humanity has prevailed against this kind of thing before right? I mean maybe not an undead apocalypse, but we'll come back from this. We have to." I muttered, only half convinced.

Blake nodded "that's right. We will come back from this. Go back to how things used to be" his voice cracked, and I noticed a tear slide down his face as he whispered "how things used to be." Over and over again..

The remainder of the trip was spent in total silence, the radio wasn't working anymore it was all static, the only sound we really heard was the quick sound of a growl from an infected that was wandering around in the street. Finally we stopped at a Chillers gas station, grabbing our bags and weapons before making our way to wherever Blake decided to loot.

"Alright, we need to look for food, weapons, maybe check out a local pharmacy for medicine, uh also some important hygienic products. So where do you want to search?" Blake asked looking at a crumpled piece of paper with items listed on it.

"Hmm, well I'm gonna state the obvious and say Wal-Mart." I suggested, Blake raised a questioning brow at me

"Wal-Mart? Yea Wal-Mart has everything but stores like those would have been looted first we gotta think of something else, of course we'll check, but that'll be the last place we go. Let's see, we could try Walgreens, they'll have some medicine and bottled water." Blake stated, thinking about it I nodded.

"Let's do it, maybe after we can hit up a pawn shop, they're sure to have some weapons." I added, Blake nodded and he led the way. We weren't even walking for a full ten minutes before a couple infected stumbled upon us, pulling out my machete I cautiously approaching the first one, while Blake moved swiftly and knocked the other one to the ground with a quick blow to the back of the infected's knee cap, before slamming the clawed part of the hammer onto its head. Raising its arms towards me, the infected growled at me baring its teeth like a rabid dog, snapping its jaws, it's yellow, glazed eyes staring at me hungrily. Cringing in disgust I dodged to the side as the thing lunged, then stabbed it in the back of the head, though the thing must've been fresh because the machete got stuck in the base of its skull. Breathing heavily I grasped the machete by the handle and ushered all my strength into one yank, and it came out with a sick suctioning sound, sending a small spray of blood out onto the ground and onto my pant leg.

Looking over at Blake, I noticed him staring down at the infected he had just killed, a look of disdain on his face. He glanced over at me, and nodded before stepping over the corpse and leading the way once more. We walked in silence for another ten minutes before finally finding Walgreens, cautiously approaching it, Blake had his hammer at the ready and signaled for me to do the same.

"Alright, when we get in there you stay close by my side the whole time, understood?" He whispered seriously, I nodded and followed him up to the doors. He slowly pulled the door open and took a step inside, then another, and another, then I followed him. The pharmacy was dark, the only light coming from the doors and the few windows, illuminating some blood on the ground and the tipped over carts the eerie silence gave this place a sinister feel to it.

I kept turning in circles making sure nothing was behind us, luckily the aisle shelves weren't taller than us, so we could see past them. I was just about to ask if the place was clear when I heard a banging noise, startled, I jumped to the left causing a shelf to knock over. Cans fell to the ground and rolled off causing even more noise.

"Shit." I whispered, angry at myself, Blake gave me a murderous look, I was beginning to hope that maybe I didn't alert anything, but that was before I heard more banging, this time from the front of the pharmacy and I realised that I had put us between a rock and a hard place.

"Oh that's great, let's just hurry up and grab what we need and leave, you cover the left half and I'll sweep through the right." Blake muttered angrily and before I could apologise he took off, sighing to myself I turned and started going through the aisles on the left side.

"Canned corn, canned beans, canned tuna, gross, canned everything." I muttered while shoving the canned goods into my duffel bag, then I dumped an entire package of water bottles in with the cans and just as I was about to put in another can, I heard the sound of the door swing open and I knew my time had just become a lot shorter. How many were there? Five? Ten? Twenty? The growls were so mixed together I couldn't tell, then I heard Blake yelp and instinctively I ran towards the sound.

"Carter, run!" I heard Blake yell from the other end of the store, searching frantically for him I failed to realise the growls from behind me and the next thing I knew I was grabbed. Screaming I fought off the assailant, I felt it's hot breath close to my neck and I realised with utter horror that I was fixing to die and no one would save me, I felt the thing's teeth clamp onto my shoulder and I screamed from the immense pain I felt. No, the immense pain I expected, but none came, then I remembered I had my duffel bag on my shoulder, the strap must've been too thick for the infected to chomp through. Not wasting anymore time I threw the bag off my shoulder, it fell to the floor along with the infected and I pulled out my machete and gave the thing a swift swipe to the head silencing the grotesque monstrosity for good.

Keeping my machete out I grabbed my bag and turned to the exit, only to see more infected stumbling in, seeing the part of the store where they kept all the medicine at, I ran and hopped the counter and tried the door but found it locked. "Shit." I fearfully whispered, then I started kicking the door in a feeble attempt to break it down, the growls of the infected getting closer. "Come on Carter, you can't let this be the end." I muttered through clenched teeth, putting all the force I could into kicking the door. I got ready to kick the door again when suddenly it opened, not even bothering to see who it was I shoved them further back into the room before running in and slamming the door shut and locking it.

"What the hell man?" The stranger whispered as he got up "What's your deal?" Ignoring the man's question I frantically looked around for an exit only to see a window that was far out of my reach and a door that was nailed shut with a sturdy looking plank of wood. I ran towards the door and yanked on the wood, it didn't even budge, then I started looking around for something I could use.

"Yea, just start, uh, trying to find something you like, when you're done, I'll check you out at the register and you can be on your way." The stranger muttered sarcastically, then the door I locked started being banged on by the infected outside. After throwing several boxes to the floor I realised I didn't need an escape route, I have a machete I can kill the infected on the other side, one at a time. I walked past the confused stranger and unlocked the door, pulling out my machete I slowly opened the door letting one of them stick it's head in, then I slammed the door trapping it there. Keeping my body weight against the door I sliced the infected's head, causing it to drop to the floor.

Then I felt more bodies press on the door and I knew there were more than I could handle, then I came upon another realisation. A plan formed in my mind I looked over at the stranger who was cowering in the back of the room looking at the door in horror. Looking at the cowering man I remembered being trapped in the house with Liah and Adeline, all of us pushed up against the door and Liah chose to stay behind and get eaten, allowing Adeline and I to escape. Without giving it another thought I swung the door open all the way, keeping my body pressed against the wall, the door kept me hidden from the infected's sight, the stranger let out a blood curdling scream and I heard boxes being thrown in a sorry attempt to ward off the infected. Once I heard the sound of blood hitting the floor I left my hiding place and walked out of the room before shutting the door once more.

"Carter?" I heard Blake whisper, I turned around and smiled before running and embracing the man

"Blake, thank God you're still alive." I said, tears forming in my eyes, Blake chuckled and replied

"I'm glad you're alive too, but what did you just do? I saw the infected at the door, and I was going to kill them but the door opened, and I heard someone scream and then you came out. So what happened?" Blake questioned.

Sighing I turned my head to the floor, "I... I used the stranger as a distraction." I coldly answered.

"W...what do you mean? You mean you used him to get the infected's attention, so you could escape?" Blake continued, his eyes filled with horror, I just nodded

"I used him as bait so I could get out alive. It's fine, it's not that big of a deal he was just a stranger, and he wasn't doing anything to help while I was in there, he just made sarcastic jokes so I used him as bait to get away." Blake shook his head and replied

"How the hell could you just do that? Why would you," he stopped and sighed, "let's just go to the pawnshop and then go home." His voice cracked and he turned around before walking out. Sighing, I just followed him..

We walked for another hour before the pawn shop was in sight, I walked with my head down and then bumped into Blake who had stopped abruptly. I was fixing to ask what wrong but I could hear it, hear them. Screaming, gunshots, growls, more screaming, more gunshots, even more growls. I looked up and saw we were at a fence, and inside the fence was the Abilene safezone, but it wasn't a safezone anymore. I saw people running around everywhere, I saw military people shooting at a huge crowd of infected that had just taken down a gate. But that wasn't the scary part, the scary part was some of the military wasn't even shooting at the infected, they were shooting at the civilians. One by one the people dropped as bullets tore into them, and I knew we had to get out of there.

"Blake, come on. We gotta go now!" I whispered urgently, that's when I noticed another huge crowd of infected stumbling towards Blake and me. Grabbing his shoulder I dragged him back the way we came, after a minute he snapped out of his trance and he began to run on his own. We ran all the way back to our vehicle, only to find the place our vehicle was parked, the vehicle itself was gone.

"Dammit. Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Blake yelled, the crowd of infected were far behind us, but without a car they would surely catch up. As I racked my brain for ideas, I heard the sound of a car engine starting and I turned around to see our minivan pull up beside us, the window rolled down and a man I never thought I'd see again yelled at us

"Get in."

"H...how did.." I stuttered, the man just smiled and rolled his then gestured for us to get in, and without wasting another thought Blake and I jumped in the van.

"Who are you exactly?" Blake asked

"I'm Luke Sinclair, who are you?" Luke asked

"I'm Blake Jackson. Do.. do you know Carter?" Blake inquired, Luke nodded and replied

"That right there is my favorite godson."


	8. Chapter 8

As we drove, I just stared out my window getting quick glances of a few straggling infected wandering through the maze of abandoned cars.

"So wait, you seriously know him, Carter?" Blake asked, after looking back and forth from me to Luke.

"No," I said, "well I mean yes, but not very well, the last time I saw him I was like eight." Blake gave me a questioning glance.

"You were nine pal" Luke corrected, smiling at me through the mirror "man time flies, you're so much bigger now." He snorted "I remember picking you up when I would babysit you. Those were the days." I smiled back at him.

"I don't remember much of those days." I muttered, still staring out the window.

"So, Blake, what's your story?" Luke questioned.

"I was Carter's PE teacher, before this, he's been with me since the start, with my other two kids." Blake replied quietly, "that's my story, now how about yours? How'd you get here?" He asked

"I was in Dallas when things started going bad, I was with a couple friends when the military tried taking us to the safe zone, but when we got there the place had already fallen. The gates were down, the dead were everywhere, the military were trying to help but they were useless. My friends and I left as the dead reached the building, a hospital, and started killing people." He took a shaky breath. "The two military people I was with, they were on the radio with a camp somewhere in Georgia, they kept trying to find a safe zone somewhere else, but everywhere we contacted said that the safe zones had fallen. Then the two men bolted in the middle of the night, took all our food and water and just left us. A couple days after that my friend Stephen got bit, we took care of him before he died, came back and then killed my other friend Jeff. I ran, and now here I am."

I stared back out my window, Blake bowed his head and whispered "I'm sorry." Luke just shook his head and focused on driving, Blake pointing out where to go...

As we got back to our camp, Tim and Tammy rushed outside to see their dad, I just smiled at the reunion, and turned to help unload the van to take in the supplies we got. I grabbed my bag and a case of water as Luke came around and grabbed the rest, he smiled down at me chuckling. Confused I stared at him and cocked an eyebrow "what are you laughing at?"

He shook his head and replied "Oh nothing, I just can't believe you're here is all. So uh, where's your mom and dad? Or Rose and Lilly? Are they inside or did they?" His voice trailed off and he stared at the ground.

"Did everyone die at the Dallas safe zone?" I asked, staring outside the gate. He looked at me, confused at first, but then his eyes widened with realization.

"Oh no. No, no, my God, I'm so sorry, I...I didn't know they were in Dallas, bud I didn't know. I swear." He pulled me into a hug, I couldn't keep the tears back any longer. If what he was saying was true then my parents and little sisters were definitely dead, I hugged Luke back.

"It's ok." I whispered "you didn't know." He pulled away and looked at me with tear stained eyes.

"Hey, y'all coming?" Blake called after us, picking up the water I set down, I looked at Luke again. He smiled and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. We walked into the school and handed the supplies to the people who were in charge of keeping stock. As we walked, Jake ran up to me, an ecstatic look in his eyes.

"You're back!" He exclaimed, he looked at Luke confused, "who is he?" I smiled down at him

"Jake, this is Luke. He was a good friend of your Yaya's and Uncle Terry's." He looked back at Luke. Before Luke could introduce himself, someone yelled causing us to turn to look. It seemed that two people had just started arguing, a couple of men from the look of it.

"You don't get to choose, you're not this place's dictator, we make decisions together" some man I had never met before yelled at another guy. I ran over to get a better look at what was happening, Laurie came up beside me.

"Do you know what they're arguing about?" She asked, standing up on her tiptoes to see over the crowd of people. I just shook my head, pushing my way further into the crowd I finally got to a point where I could see the two men clearly, I recognized Jim, he was the one who handled the food, though I didn't recognize the other man. _Why wasn't anybody trying to calm them down?_ I thought to myself, as I got closer Jim was red in the face. His fist were bunched, trembling with anger, he had a weird look in his eyes and I knew this was fixing to go bad unless somebody stopped him.

"You think just because we put you in charge of food you get to choose which people eat and which ones don't? Why don't you explain to everyone about how you always get a meal, Jim." The man spat, Jim looked the man in the eyes and then charged him, taking the other man to the ground before pummeling him.

The crowd of people just gasped and backed up, one of the people ran over to try and pull Jim off the other guy but just ended up getting an elbow to the stomach. The man getting beaten by Jim somehow managed to shove Jim off and onto his back, the man jumped up and pounced onto Jim, another guy was fixing to try and pull them apart when a gunshot went off.

Some people screamed and ran, others, like myself, just ducked and took cover. The man on top of Jim rolled off, while Jim got up, blood covered his face and neck. He dropped the gun and shook his head. "I..I didn't mean to shoot him." When I looked at the other man, he was dead, blood still flowing from his throat, I just looked at Jim. I was too shocked to say anything so I just shook my head, Jim was about to say more but never got the chance cause Luke came up behind him with a bat and slammed it on his head.

Jim fell to the floor, unconscious, at that moment a little girl came running out from the crowd and fell onto the floor next to the dead man, crying and shaking the man's unmoving corpse.

"D...daddy? Daddy wake up! Wake up daddy please!." The girl's tears fell onto the man's chest. After a minute of everyone staring, Claire came out and gently pulled the girl away from her father.

"Come on Ellie, y...you need to rest. Ok, come on." Claire gently whispered, fighting back tears of her own, Ellie fought for a moment, just a moment, then she gave up and quietly went with Claire...

A meeting was shortly held after that, Luke had tied Jim up and locked him in one of the classrooms. Since I couldn't go to the meeting cause I was still just a "kid" I just sat outside with my friends, playing go fish.

"What do you think is going to happen to Jim?" Lacy asked, glancing back at the school, I shrugged.

"Maybe they'll kill him, you know execute him or something. They can't keep him here." Mike responded, putting down a set of three cards. Mel looked at him as if he had just slapped her mother.

"They can't execute him, that's crazy, we don't execute people." She angrily exclaimed while setting down her own set of three.

"Well, what else are they gonna do? They can't lock him up forever." Mike argued, putting down all his cards sighing, "I don't want to play games anymore."

"They could exile him." Lisa pointed out, I nodded in agreement still not wanting to talk.

"What's it like out there, Carter?" Laurie asked, changing the subject

"Yea, what is it like?" Clay repeated "You're the only one of us who's been out there." I just stared at them all, not knowing how to answer I shrugged.

"Well it's, it's uh scary." I started "you have to always stay on your guard, and have to... to make choices, choices that you might not like." My voice trailed off, and I stared at the grass as my thoughts went back to the man at the pharmacy.

After a few moments of silence Clay exclaimed "hey look, seems like the meeting is over." I looked up to see Luke and Blake walking over towards us, I got up and walked over to them followed by my friends.

"So are they gonna kill him?" Mike asked, Blake shook his head

"They're gonna take him somewhere else, a little past Abilene." Blake replied quietly.

"So who is gonna take him?" Clay added

"I am." Luke responded proudly, "well me and Carter anyway." I looked at him, confused.

"What? Why?" I asked

"Because I don't want to leave you alone." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder

I shook my head "I won't be alone, I have my friends, and Blake, plus John and Jake." I argued

"I don't care," he concluded "I need your help, so you're going with me and that's final." With that he walked back to the school to collect Jim, I looked at Blake.

"So, they're just exiling him?" I questioned, Blake looked at me then looked down.

"That's the plan. I'm gonna go talk to my kids, they need me. " he replied softly before turning and leaving without saying another word. As Blake walked off, Luke returned with Jim, his hands were still tied behind his back.

"Ready?" Luke asked me, I just nodded not taking my eyes off of Jim. "Carter." Luke whispered, I looked up and saw him holding out the machete I was growing accustomed to, I took the machete from him and then trudged to the car, I don't think Jim should remain here but I'm not sure if I wanted to send him off either...

Luke shoved Jim into the back seat, causing Jim to hit his head on the door. "Hey, be careful asshole." Jim spat at Luke after Jim was in the car, Luke slammed the door shut and hopped into the driver's seat.

We drove in silence, except for the several curse words Jim would throw at us, I spent most of the trip staring out the window. We passed by some other people, and a few cars drove past us, it was nice to know there were still people out there.

"So how far are we taking him?" I asked, looking back at Jim.

"They want us to take him an hour past Abilene." Luke sighed, Jim muttered a few unintelligible things, but I would bet they were some more curse words. Luke glared at him through the rearview mirror "Can it asshole, you brought this on yourself." Luke responded angrily.

"That fucker attacked me! I'm lucky he didn't kill me." Jim tried defending himself, Luke shook his head and focused on driving, while I just went back to looking out the window...

"Wake up Carter, it's time to take care of our problem." Luke whispered, gently shaking me, I opened my eyes. Looking around, the sudden wave of confusion passed and I remembered what was going on.

Yawning, I got out of the car and shook my head, I must've fallen asleep. "So where are we letting him go at?" I asked, walking around the car. I pulled out my machete, as there were a few infected roaming around over near a group of cars.

"Luke?" I asked more urgently, as Luke came into view, I knew something was up. Jim was gagged, his feet tied, and he was kneeling on the ground trying to say something. "Luke, why is he gagged?" Jim looked at me with wide, fearful eyes.

"Like I said, we're taking care of our problem." He whispered, I was fixing to ask him what he meant when I heard the sound of a gun being cocked, then he turned around and pointed a pistol at Jim's head.

"Luke, what the hell are you doing?" I asked nervously, Jim started crying, that moment was all it took for me to notice. I may not remember Luke as a person, but I remember what he looked like, he always had short, neatly kept blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He may still have been tall, but now. Now his hair was almost to his shoulders, a rat's nest upon his head, his once bright eyes now dark and wild, I hardly recognized this man at all.

"Luke?" I repeated while slowly strolling towards him "Put the gun away Luke, please. We can just let him go." I tried explaining, Luke just shook his head.

"We can't." Luke whispered "Killers must be killed, or they will kill again." Without another word, he pulled the trigger. I turned my head to avoid seeing Jim, when I turned back around there was a pool of blood beginning to form around Jim's body.

I glared at Luke through teary eyes, "What the hell is wrong with you?" I questioned taking a step back "Y...you didn't have to kill him." I whispered.

Luke just spat on the ground and waved his gun at the ground "killers deserve to be killed, I'm not a killer, I'm just the one who knows what has to be done. You have to make choices, you might not like them but you have to make them." Luke whispered.

As I was about to say something, my attention was drawn towards a cacophony of growls. I looked over towards the building we had parked near, there was around ten infected stumbling towards us, snapping their jaws.

"We should go." Luke said, he walked over to me, without another word I just hopped into the car. A second later Luke jumped in and we started back towards home.

"It had to be done, Carter," Luke started "you know it did, I saw it on your face. You could've done something if you wanted him to live. " I just continued staring out the window.

"It doesn't matter anymore, it's done." I whispered "I still don't think you should've killed him."

It didn't take too long to get back to the school, considering there is no traffic anymore, the two gate guards let us in. Blake was kneeling at his wife and son's graves, deciding it was best to just leave him alone l, I just walked inside and went to my tent to lay down, before quickly drifting off to sleep.

"Hey Carter," I heard Blake whisper "bud I just came to tell you that... that I'm leaving, with Tim and Tammy, and I know it's a lot to ask but. I'd like it of you were to come with us, we leave tomorrow after lunch." Before I could respond I heard him get up and leave, I made an attempt to get off my cot and pursue him but my weariness got the best of me and I fell back asleep...

The next morning I woke up and immediately went to find Blake. Looking around I saw Clay, Laurie, Mike, Mel, and Kale arguing with Lacy, Lisa, and some others. Strolling over to them, their voices became clearer and I was able to understand what they were saying.

"Blake is right, this group is falling apart, pretty soon it's all going to come crashing down, our best chance is to leave and find somewhere more stable." Clay anxiously said to Lacy

"Say we do leave, then what?" She argued back "we won't have shelter, won't have many supplies, not many people to watch our backs, plus I have my little brother to look after." Clay opened his mouth to try and counter her, but sighed and bowed his head, defeated.

Right as I got there, Mike added his opinion in as well "if we stay, how long do you think it'll be until the infected break through those gates? How long before more people turn on each other and start killing? How much longer do you really think this place will last? His eyebrows knitted together in anger, Mel placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to calm him down.

"This place will last longer than we would out there." Lisa whispered "none of us have any experience in fighting these things, not to mention that more than half of us would die out there trying to find somewhere safer." She added before finally finishing with a sigh "We don't have a chance out there, so we should remain here and let things fix themselves."

I scoffed at that remark, "Fix itself? Are you kidding me, when are you going to wake up, this isn't getting better. This is the new world and we have to adapt to it, or we will die, there is no waiting for it to get better." Lisa shrank away at my icy glare, which made me feel bad since she was still my friend. Lacy shook her head and led Lisa and a few others away, Clay came over and pat me on the back.

"So, what's your decision?" He asked me quietly, "Blake is gathering our supplies now and we will leave shortly after that." I stared blankly at him, then walked into the office to see Blake and a few other people gathering supplies into some duffel bags.

Blake turned to me, his expression soft, his eyes curious. It was obvious he wanted to know my decision as well. "Do you think we'll make it?" I asked him, tears welling in my eyes as images of Liah, Patrick, the man from the pharmacy and some others came flooding into my memory. I stood there for what felt like forever when finally Blake nodded

"I think we can make it, as long as we stick together and hold onto faith." He whispered, adjusting his hat. I nodded and picked up a duffel bag, stuffing a few things of water into it and soon the noises of the world faded as I gave into my thoughts. _How can we keep faith, when we've lost do much already? How can we keep faith when we know not all of us are going to make it? How can we keep faith, when everything we thought we knew comes crashing down..._


End file.
